Persuasion
by Lady Marianne
Summary: Crossover between Titanic and Persuasion by J. Austen . When they met the first time, he wasn't good enough for her. Now that their roles have change, will they still have a chance or is it too late for them? R
1. Prologue

**I've recently read this book (Persuasion) and I fell in love with it. It also occured to me that it could be adapted into a Titanic fanfic, so I thought I'd give it a try. What do you think?? Read and let me know, okay? Thanks.**

**As usual, I own nothing but the DVD and -in this case- the book. The characters, most of the plot, all of that belong to James Cameron and Jane Austen. Lucky them!**

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**Persuasion**

Based on situations originated by J. Cameron and J. Austen

**CHAPTER ONE****: Prologue**

Rose DeWitt Bukater had the childhood every girl would wish for: she had a loving father that gave in to her every wish, a mother who bought her all the dresses she wanted, tons of maids to take care of her hair, clothes and education and she was also friends to some of the most important kids in the East coast. And yet, as she grew older, she realized that she was happier chasing her dog Dexter in her back yard than when she held tea parties for her friends. She tried to talk to her mother about this, but she had laughed and said:

"Nonsense! Girls are supposed to organize parties, play with toys… not chase some dog around the house."

She had also tried to talk to her father, who gave her a better answer:

"Oh well… I suppose not all of us are meant to drink tea and chat solely of hats," he said laughing. "Good for you, Rosie. I'd like to see what you make of your life; something big, I imagine."

Her father was Rose's hero. She enjoyed shopping with her mother, but the best time of the day for her was when her father read her a book before bedtime. When she turned thirteen she was sent to a boarding school in New York. She missed her family a lot, but Ruth sent her new dresses every week and Robert visited her everytime he was in town.

And then she received a letter from her mother telling her that her father had died of a heart attack the previous night. Rose had felt her whole world falling under her feet, but by the time she pulled off the train in Philadelphia she was completely serenaded –the one thing she had learnt from her mother was to keep a straight face and never show her true feelings.

Robert was buried the day after Rose's arrival and his will read two days after that. Of course she wasn't allowed to be present when they did so, but Ruth then told her that her father had left them nothing but debts hidden under a good last name.

From that moment on, Ruth's purpose in life was to find a suitable husband for her only daughter. Rose was returned to Philadelphia with no prospect of coming back to school. She was introduced to every bachelor aged between 20 and 40 years old in hopes to get her married before the little money Ruth had saved run out.

Finally, a Caledon Hockley appeared. Although he doubled her age –he was 32- his bank account tripled that of the others, so Ruth quickly chose him as future son-in-law. Rose, however, wasn't so keen on him. Despite the gifts he bought her and his gentle behavior around her, she got a bad vibe of him and pleaded her mother not to force her to marry him, but she received the same answer over and over again:

"Nonsense, Rose! Mr. Hockley is perfect for you!"

He even took them to Europe for six months. Although she still felt somehow uncomfortable around him, she had to admit that she liked the lifestyle Cal was offering her, so she agreed to marry him.

As a prove to them of what he was offering, Cal bought them tickets back to America on the most luxurious ship ever built: the Titanic. Little did he know that that voyage would change all of their lives forever –and not necessary in a good way.

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**You should know this: unlike most of my stories, I haven't finish writing this yet, so it might take me a while to update. So be patient, please!!**


	2. Titanic

Persuasion

**Persuasion**

Based on situations originated by J. Cameron and J. Austen

**CHAPTER TWO****: Titanic**

They boarded the ship half an hour before she left for New York. Everybody seemed to be in awe about Titanic, but Rose couldn't understand why they made such a fuss about a ship. She wasn't excited about going back home either. For her, her home was with her father, but he had been dead for almost two years.

They followed an officer to their private suites; Ruth kept congratulating Cal as if he had been the one to design the ship when, in reality, all he had done was pay for their tickets.

Their rooms were far more spacious than the other ones Rose had stayed in, but she decided not to tell her mother that. Truth was that she hated when she had to agree with Cal.

"Shall we go wander around?" Ruth asked once they were on their way.

The man thought it was a great idea, so he grabbed Rose by the arm and dragged her along the deck.

It took her one day to realize that marrying Cal would be a mistake. After spending 24 whole hours with him, she knew exactly what her life would be like and she didn't like it. After lunch, she told her mother what she thought, but Ruth refused to hear it.

"What part of 'there's no money left' don't you understand? Rose, we don't have much time. You don't know how judgmental this people are; if someone learnt of our financial situation before you're married, you would never find a husband and we would be forced to beg on the streets. It's that what you want?"

Instead of arguing with her, Rose had decided to take a stroll down the deck. She needed to put her thoughts in order and decide –once and for all- what was it that _she_ wanted. For once in her life, she had to listen to the voice in side her head; the same voice that had once told her to go chase Dexter when her mother was calling after her. She had silenced that voice for far too long.

She got to the rail and leaned forward, her gaze lost in the horizon. She realized then that she would like to travel, but not in the way she was used to travel; she'd like to really see the world, not just its museums and stores. She'd like to work her way from place to place, without following any plan. It'd certainly be a nice change.

She suddenly felt herself the object of someone's attention. She looked down at the steerage section and found a man staring intensely at her. From the distance she could tell that he was young and had blond hair, but nothing else. She was both scandal and flattered by his attitude, but before she could decide whether she should keep looking or turn away, Cal appeared behind her and ordered her to go back to their room.

That night at dinner, she finally decided that she had had enough, and that if her own mother didn't help her, she'd need to find another way to escape. That other way came to her when she looked through the window and saw the water surrounding them.

Of curse, she thought. She couldn't understand why it had taken her so long to see the answer laying just in front of her. She excused herself from the table and ran to the back of the ship, hitting everyone who came in her way.

She finally arrived to her destination: the back of the ship. She tuned to check if anyone had followed her, but they haven't. That made her feel even more miserable; haven't anyone noticed how sad she looked at dinner? But she swallowed her tears and climbed down the rail.

She stood there with her arms widely spread for a minute or two staring at the water. This was the only way out, she repeated herself. Only by dying could she teach her mother the lesson. She was sure her father would understand and would be waiting for her.

Just when she was about to lose her grip on the bars, she heard a voice talking to her.

"Don't do it!" said a man, standing just a few feet away from her.

"Stand back," she ordered. "Don't come any closer! I'll let go."

The man approached the rail, pretending to go to throw his cigarette into the ocean. Then he put his hands into his pockets and commented:

"No you won't."

Rose turned furiously at him.

"What do you mean no I won't? You don't know me!"

"You would've done it already," the stranger told her in a carefree tone.

"Well, you're distracting me, go away!"

"I can't. I'm too involved now. If you let go, I'm gonna' e jump after ya."

She looked at him furiously, although a part of her felt grateful towards him.

"You're crazy. You'd be killed; the fall alone would."

"Sure, the fall 'd hurt, but I'm a lot more concerned about the water being so cold."

"Cold?" Rose repeated, concerned. "How cold?"

"Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over," he paused for the moment contemplating the water, and then added. "I grew up in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Me and my Pa used to go ice-fishing whenever we got a chance, but one day I fell though thin ice. So, trust me, water that cold, hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. You can't breathe, you can't think… least not 'bout anything but the pain. That's why I'm not really looking forward to jumping after ya, but like I said, I'm too involved now. If you jump, I jump."

She had to admit that she wasn't really looking forward to freezing to death. She had assumed that she'd die a quick, painless death; not a long and torturing one.

"You don't want to do this. Come on, give me your hand, I'll pull you back in."

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out for his hand and with his help, she was soon back on the ship. She looked up at him to thank him, and suddenly realized that he was the man from earlier –the one who had been staring at her that afternoon. She saw from his eyes that he too had recognized her.

"I'm Jack Dawson," he said to break the ice.

"Rose DeWitt Bukater," she replied, offering him her hand.

"I'm gonna 've to gettcha write that down," he commented smiling.

"I should probably get back; they'll miss me," she announced suddenly.

He nodded understandingly and moved aside so that she could leave. When she thought she was far enough to see without being seen, she turned and watched him walking to the rail. She sighed and smiled, not really knowing why.

"Where on earth have you been, Rose? You disappeared from dinner!" her mother's angry voice greeted her the moment she opened the door to their cabin.

"I was… wandering around." She thought about telling her the truth, but she knew her mother would not even listen to her. So she told her she was tired and locked up in her room.

But no matter how hard she tried, Rose couldn't sleep at all that night. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Jack's smiling face. She couldn't help to wonder what Cal would have done in his position: would he have tried to stop a complete stranger from jumping, even if it coasted him his own life? She really doubted it.

Jack Dawson was nothing like the men she usually dealt with; the thing was: was he any better than them? She'd have to investigate a little.

The next morning she managed to get rid of Ruth and Cal and made her way to the third class deck, but she didn't find the man she was looking for. After asking around, she was told that passengers often gathered in a sort of common room placed under the main dinning room, so there she went, hoping she'd find him.

He was sitting next to a small girl to whom he was showing what seemed to be drawings. There were two men also, who Rose recognized from the previous afternoon. She made her way to them, feeling curious gazes fixed on her.

"Mr. Dawson?" she asked when he was closed enough.

Jack looked up and shock was reflected on his face; the other two men also looked stunned at her.

"Miss De… Bu… Rose. What are you doing down here?"

She smiled at him and told him she wanted to have a private conversation. He turned to look at his friends, whose expressions hadn't changed a bit in those few seconds and then nodded. She guided him to the first class deck and after a while of walking in silence, she exclaimed:

"Great weather, isn't it?"

She felt stupid for not being able to say what she really wanted to say, but she couldn't take back what she had just said. She just prayed he didn't consider her stupid for such a lame statement.

"We're lucky. When I first went to Europe we had three straight days of rains and storms. I was scared to death. Although maybe it was because my first time on a ship."

"How old were you?" she inquiringly asked.

"Seventeen," he said, smiling embarrassed.

"I was 10 when I first got into a ship," she recalled. "The weather was good, but I was scared nonetheless. Fortunately I had my Dad, who eventually convinced me that it wasn't so bad. I ended up having the best time."

"That's the thing; I had no one." He sensed her perplexed look and explained: "My parents died when I was fifteen; I had no siblings or close family there, so I left. I've been alone ever since."

"I'm so sorry."

"You shouldn't be; it was a long time ago. But now… I highly doubt you came all the way down here to tell me how great the weather has been. If you did, you need friends; urgently!"

She laughed and said:

"Okay, you're right. Mr. Dawson, I…"

"Jack. Please, call me Jack."

"Jack. I wanted to thank you for what you did. I don't know what I'd have done hadn't you been there to pull me back in."

"You'd probably have called for someone and then made up some lame excuse that no one would believe but the wouldn't say anything because you are way too popular."

"You're probably right. Although, maybe, I'd have jumped, you know?"

"No you wouldn't," he said shacking his head.

"What makes you say that? You don't know me…"

"No, I don't. But I do know people in general, and, trust me, you don't look like a suicidal type of girl. You probably regretted your decision as soon as you were there, didn't you? Don't answer if you don't want to; your look says enough."

Instead of turning away offended by his comment, Rose burst into laughter. She didn't exactly know why, but she found Mr. Dawson very amusing.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing. He told her of some of the places he had visited after his parents' deaths; she talked about her father's death and what had come after that –including her unwanted engagement to Cal. He turned out to be an artist and she was fascinated when he showed her some of his works.

"I've always wanted to do something of my life. Be a singer, or an actress… I've always felt the need to be on the spotlight, you know?" she said.

"Good luck with that. I've been trying to make myself noticeable for five years," he commented.

"You'll make it," she assured him. "Clearly, you have a gift."

"Well, thank you."

Her mother found them when he was teaching her how to spit. Rose had to try hard not to laugh at her face; she looked as if she had found them shoplifting! She was taken away before she could say anything to Jack, but she tried to express on her face what she meant to say: she'd see him later.

And, indeed, she saw him later.

After dinner, the men went to the smoking room to enjoy their brandy. Cal accompanied Rose to her room. She wished he hadn't, but she had no choice.

"Good night, Rose," he said, kissing her on the lips.

"Good night," she replied, hoping he'd go once and for all.

He pulled away looking unmistakably disappointed –he had tried to get in her bed for several weeks now- but he left without comments.

Once she was alone, Rose pulled her hair down and lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She wasn't tired and didn't want to go to sleep yet, but it was either sleep or her mother and her friends. After two days on board, she didn't think she could take anymore of their meaningless chat.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. She jumped from her bed and hesitantly walked towards it, trying to find the right thing to say in case it was Cal. But she was pleasantly surprise to find not Cal, but Jack.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks god. My boredom!" she exclaimed inviting him inside. "What's up?"

'What's up'?" he repeated. "I see you're starting to pick up the slang! Anyway, I wanted to see if you wanted to join me to a party downstairs. I must warn you, is not nearly as fancy as the one you have obviously just attended to, but I think you'll enjoy it."

"Give me two minutes; I have to put my shoes back on."

Five minutes later they were at the same room where she had found him earlier that day. Like he had said, the party was nothing like the once she usually attended; for example, people seemed to be actually enjoying themselves.

"What d'ya think?" he asked her.

"This is amazing!" she replied, completely in awe.

She spotted a man waving at them from across the room and pointed Jack in his direction.

"Isn't that your friend?"

"Yes, that's Fabrizio. Come on."

He gently dragged her to his friend's table and introduced her to them.

"Tommy, Fabri, this is Rose DeWitt Bukater."

"I thought you wouldn't be able to learn my last name," she said, receiving only a smile from him. "Anyway, call me Rose."

The two men were as shocked as they had been that afternoon, but when she drank the whole jar of bear that Jack had placed in her hand in one big sip, they understood that first impressions are not always right.

After a couple of hours dancing and drinking, Jack suggested that it was time to go. She didn't want to go back to her room, but she was sure that her mother and Cal would be back soon and she knew she had to be there when they did.

Jack walked her to the first class entrance.

"I had a very good time tonight," she told him when hey reached their destination.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked after a pause.

He smiled at her and then replied: "I'll come find you."

"Okay, but don't let mother see you. After this afternoon I don't think you're her favorite person."

He laughed. "Okay, I'll be careful. Good night, Rose."

"Good night, Jack."


	3. Persuasion

**Persuasion**

Based on situations originated by J. Cameron and J. Austen

**CHAPTER THREE****: Persuasion**

As Trudy, her maid, tighten her corset, Rose thought of Jack and the day to come. He had promised he'd find her and together they'd do something exciting. She didn't know exactly what he planned, but she trusted him. She was sure that she'd have more fun with him than with her mother or Cal.

"Tea, Trudy," Ruth ordered storming inside her daughter's room. "I can take care of that," she added, noticing the maid looking hesitantly at Rose's half tight corset.

The woman vowed at her employer and exited the room. Rose immediately knew that her mother only wanted speak privately to her and that tea was only an excuse.

"You're not to see that boy again, Rose," Ruth said after a few minutes.

"What?" her daughter replied turning abruptly. "You can't order me that."

"Yes, I can. I'm your mother."

"That doesn't mean you can chose my friends for me."

"Rose, what are you doing? Cal is the only thing we have left and you keep pushing him away. Do you really want to see me working as a seamstress?"

"Of course I don't want that, mother. I just want to have a life!"

"And you will, but only after you've married Cal. We need the money, Rose! You don't know this people like I do; if they by any chance find out about our lack of money, they will never forgive us and no one will ever want to marry you. Do you want to be an old, poor spinster?"

"This is so unfair…" Rose muttered.

"I know it is; we're women," her mother replied, hugging her gently. "But life with Cal will be great; trust me."

Cal had convinced Thomas Andrews, the builder of the ship, to give them a tour around, so when Rose was ready they went to meet Andrews at the bow.

Even though she had promised herself she wouldn't enjoy it, she couldn't help to listen carefully to every word he said. When they reached the boat deck, she was the first one to realize that there weren't enough boats for all the passengers and crew.

"Right about half," Mr. Andrews agreed. "Nothing gets pass you, does it? No, I meant to put another row of boats, but it was thought –by some- that it would take luxury from the deck."

Rose was appalled by this, but she soon discovered that her mother and fiancé agreed.

"It's a waste of space, I tell you!" Cal commented. "Isn't this the 'Unsinkable' ship?"

"Built with Hockley steal, right? Then I'm sure that the quality is excellent!"

"Don't worry, young Rose; I've built you a safe ship," the architect assured her. "Now make a right; I'll show you the Captain's room."

But before Rose could follow them, she felt someone grabbing her by the arm and taking her to a nearby room. When she looked up and recognized Jack –wearing a hat and a coat so that Ruth wouldn't see him- she felt happier than she had been all day. But then her mother's words came back to her and she wished he had not come.

"Told ya I'd be careful," he said smiling.

"Jack… I…"

The smile disappeared abruptly from his face. It was obvious that he already knew what she had to say. "Oh, no! Don't say it," he almost begged. "Whatever they told you, Rose…"

"I have to go back," she said, not letting him finish his statement. She had to do this; for her own sake.

She intended to go, but she felt Jack's grip on her arm again, forcing her to look at him.

"Ever since I first saw you, I knew you were special. You don't belong there. They've got you trapped, Rose, and you're gonna die if you don't break free! Maybe not right away 'cause you're strong, but sooner or later, that fire that I love about you is gonna burn down."

Her eyes filled with tears: he was telling her that he loved her and she couldn't say it back, not because she didn't mean it, but because she couldn't. For a split second she thought what would happen if she stayed with him, turning her back on her mother, but she immediately realized it was impossible. She had to be realistic; Jack and her was something that could not be.

"Jack, this has been fun, but it's time for us to go back. You and me… it would never work; we're too different. These couples of days were great, really, but I'm marrying Cal. I love Cal. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," she said, trying hard to keep a straight face and hide her tears. She couldn't let him see the truth.

She made one last attempt to leave and he didn't stop her. One part of her wanted –needed-him to take her by the arm and pull her close to him, but that did not happen. Before closing the door behind her she looked back one last time and whispered:

"I'm sorry."

He did not move; did not say anything. Rose left just as her tears were starting to fall.

"We've been looking for you. Where have you been?" Ruth asked when she found her daughter sitting alone in their stateroom.

"I got a little sea-sick," she lied, not wanting to talk about Jack.

"Sea-sick? Well, I hope that you feel better before this night. Cal has arranged a dinner with the Captain himself, so you should try to put your best face," her mother said, apparently completely oblivious to her pain. But Rose could not take any more.

"Shut up, mother! Don't you see I'm not in the mood for dinner with the Captain? I just want to be alone, is that so hard to understand? I did what you've told me to do, but don't ask me to act as if nothing had happened."

She jumped from her sit and locked herself in her room for hours. She would have stayed in there until they reached New York, but Cal came a couple of hours later and ordered her to join him for dinner.

The whole night was awful. People around her kept talking and talking and none of them realized that she looked like throwing up. When the men went to enjoy their brandy, she excused herself from the table and went back to her room, where she lay awake for hours, thinking of Jack.

Although she was sure that her mother was right –she did deserve better than him- she couldn't help to think that never since her father's death had she had so much fun. Jack had made her feel important for who she was, not for what her family had once been.

She wondered what he was doing right now. Was he thinking of her or was he so furious that he had forgotten her already? If they met again, what would he do?

Suddenly, a knock on her door brought her back to reality. Two minutes later, her mother's voice called after her. Reluctantly, she went to the stateroom, catching a glimpse of the watch before she left: a couple of minutes after one.

She was surprised to find an officer talking to her mother.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"This man says that we should put our lifebelts on and go to the boat deck. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Even though the officer seemed calmed, Rose had a bad feeling. After putting her lifebelt on and convincing her mother to do the same, they went to the boat deck, where they found most of the first and second-class passengers as surprised as they were.

"This is so absurd! Go back to our room, Trudy, and get me some tea," Ruth ordered.

Rose quickly spotted Mr. Andrews across the room and walked towards him, eager to know the truth. At first the man felt reluctant to telling her, but he ended up confessing.

"The ship is going to sink. In an hour or so, she'll be in the bottom of the Atlantic."

"Sink? What do you mean with sink?" Cal –who had approached towards them without being heard-, asked.

"Precisely that, Mr. Hockley; we've hit an iceberg. You have to go to a lifeboat, quickly."

Rose and Cal went back to Ruth but did not tell her what they have just learnt. Rose was both shocked and panicked, and it wasn't until she was waiting in line for a boat that she remembered Jack.

One quick look around confirmed what she already knew: only first and second-class passengers were being evacuated. Jack and his friends were probably downstairs, unaware of the danger. Yes, she had heard a loud sound while she was at her room, but she hadn't pay much attention to it. She had assumed that something had happened to one of the propellers and that soon they'd be back on their way. Everybody must have thought that too.

She immediately made up her mind: she would go downstairs and warn them about the iceberg. But she had barely taken one step back when she noticed Cal turning to her.

"Going somewhere, sweetpea?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes, actually, I am. I… I have to do something. It's very important."

"Oh, I see… More important than this?" he pointed at her mother, who was already in the lifeboat looking at her both confused and mad.

"Yes; it is," she replied after a short hesitation.

Jack was the only one besides her father who had encouraged her to do not what she _had _to, but what she _wanted _to. Jack was the only man who had loved her for who she was, not because of her last name. Jack was the one man she loved, and her mother had taken her away from him. But she couldn't leave him now, probably when he needed her the most. She had to find him and tell him the truth.

"Does this have to do with that little friend of yours?" Cal asked smiling coldly.

All the happiness that had built inside her disappeared and a new revelation popped into her mind.

"Oh, yes, Rose, I know. I know that yesterday you went to meet him, even though you told me you were exhausted; I know you met him again this afternoon, when you were supposed to be with your mother and me. I know everything about you and him, Rose. In fact, I know everything about you."

"You had Lovejoy follow me, didn't you?" she asked coldly.

"Well, of course. I had to make sure that my wife is trustworthy, so I checked your backgrounds." he smiled again, more coldly than before. "Let's make a deal: I will overlook the fact that you are marrying me for my money because you've run out of yours, if you step into that lifeboat now and never contradict me again. I think it's more than fair."

Rose turned to look at her mother, who had shock reflected on her face and then back to Cal. She had always suspected that he was a cruel man, but this was far worst. Still, he didn't scare her; not since she met Jack.

"No," she said firmly. "I will not get in that boat and I will not marry you."

He looked surprised for a few seconds, but then the smile reappeared on his face.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Rose? I don't like to lose, and you don't want to know what I do the few times I don't win."

"I'm not scared, Cal. I never wanted to marry you in the first place, so… Now, if you excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be."

She tried to walk away, but she felt his grip on her arm again.

"You've make a terrible mistake, sweetpea," he muttered.

What came after that happened so quickly that Rose barely had time to think. Cal grabbed her by the arm and pushed her to the boat, which was being lowered already. She landed next to her mother, who didn't understand what was happening. Rose quickly jumped to her feet, determined to jump back to the ship, but it was too late; they had reached the water and were now rapidly rowing away. Cal looked down at her and smiled cruelly before he turned and left.

"No…" she muttered. "We have to go back," she told the officer. "I have to go back."

The man gave her a sympathetic look but didn't stop rowing. She stood in the middle of the boat, watching the Titanic slowly sinking, until the other women onboard made her realize that she had to sit down.

"Rose, what happened? What did Cal tell you?" Ruth asked worriedly.

"Mother, I think we've made a terrible mistake about Cal."

"What do you mean?"

"I told him I wouldn't marry him and he gave me this look… I'm scared for what he might do to us."

"Don't worry, Rose. I'm sure he'll forgive you. We just have to tell him that you only said that because you were panicking."

Despite her tone, Ruth was also scared. A part of her had always found Cal dangerous, and after seeing his cold smile she couldn't help to think that something was about to go very wrong for them.

And she was right.

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**I know that, so far, this looks like another Titanic fanfic with very little to do with Persuasion, but I promise you that it will get better. I hope you like it so far, but if you don't, don't hesitate to review so that I can make changes as I write, ok?? Thank you!!**


	4. Eight Years Later

**For those who are still reading this, here's chapter four. As you should have realized from the title, the year is 1920. The Titanic has sank and Rose and Ruth are living in Philadelphia. I'm running out of pre-written chapters, so it might take me longer to update. Reviews may help me write faster, though. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**Persuasion**

Based on situations originated by J. Cameron and J. Austen

**CHAPTER FOUR****: Eight Years Later**

_1920_

Rose -wrapped in a coat that wasn't half as thick as it ought to be- rushed along the streets of Philadelphia, completely aware of the fact that she was late. Her employer had made her stay longer than usual because –apparently- she had made a mistake when taking Mrs. Lovett's measures so the dress she was supposed to make for her had come out wrong.

She finally got to her house and rang the bell. She hoped her mother would let her near the fire for a minute before she decided they had to leave, but the moment Ruth appeared at the door, her daughter knew that that was not going to happen.

"You're late," the woman told her when she saw her.

"Yes, sorry about that. I had to redo a dress."

"Next time you should be more careful. Now let's go. I told Elizabeth that we would meet her at her house five minutes ago."

Ruth stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She started to walk and motioned her daughter to follow her. Rose pushed her hands deeper into her pockets and followed her mother.

"Is Elizabeth going to take us to the party?" she asked.

"Yes. She had room in her car and was kind enough to offer to take us. It's good, but for now. We can't allow her to think that we are broken. I told her our driver was sick."

"Mother, why do we have to pretend we are full of money when the truth is that we are broken? I'm sick of traveling across town to work so none of our neighbors see me; I'm sick of attending to all this parties and talk about jewelry and trips and dresses we can't afford! Wouldn't it be easier to accept the fact that the money is gone and it won't come back? We better deal with it rather than deny it."

Ruth stopped suddenly and turned around.

"There's still some hope for us, Rose. We can't give up yet. I know it's a very big sacrifice, but it will pay off eventually. I'm sure that sooner or later we'll find you a suitable husband and we will soon be back on our feet. Don't you miss having a maid to make you breakfast and help you get dressed?"

One part of her wanted to scream that she didn't need the money; that all she wanted was to live her life and not a lie. But she knew there was no way out. She hadn't been brought up to starve in the streets. This life was the only life she knew, and she would have to try to get it back.

"As long as it's not another Cal…" Rose murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing."

They got to Elizabeth's house, but the buckler told them that his lady had already left, assuming they would go on their own. Ruth had thanked the man, but the moment the door closed, she exclaimed:

"I knew we couldn't trust her! She suspects something, I know."

"Should we go home and invent some kind of excuse?" Rose asked.

"No! We are going to that party. Come on, it's only twenty blocks away."

"Twenty…?" she started, but there was no point in arguing; she knew her mother would have it her way.

It took them almost half an hour to arrive at Molly Brown's house. Ruth rang the bell and told her daughter to agree to whatever she said. A minute later they were in the living room offering their apologize to their host.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you what happened, Molly," Ruth said. "I think one of our maids is stealing from us. That's why we're late; we had to do some research."

Rose noticed that a group of women sitting in a corner were pointing at them and laughing. In that moment she understood that their financial situation wasn't so secret anymore. Coming to think about it, it was only reasonable that Cal had spread the rumor once their engagement was cancelled. After what she had done to him, it would have been stupid to think that he'd try to protect them. In fact, he had even told her she'd be sorry.

After so many years, Rose had convinced herself that it was her fault they were like this. They had found Cal on the Carpathia the morning after the sinking, but he had pushed them away. They had been forced to spend the rest of the voyage downstairs, hidden, too ashamed to talk to anyone. When they docked, Ruth had tried to talk some sense into Cal again. She had even convinced Rose to apologize, but nothing worked. Cal told all his friends that Rose had cancelled the engagement off and that she shouldn't be trusted.

But Rose had never imagined that he would reveal their financial situation to anyone. Now, however, seeing the women laugh so shamelessly at them, she saw the whole truth.

"No problem, sister. As long as you're here!" Molly exclaimed, paying no attention to the women's giggles. "Now… should we go to the dinning room? I'm starving."

It took Rose several seconds to react. Everything was finally clear to her: despite Ruth's efforts, they knew.

"Mother, I don't think this is a very good idea," the girl whispered as she followed her mother into the dinning room.

"Relax, Rose, they don't know."

They sat at the table and plates filled with delicious food were placed in front of them. The DeWitt Bukaters tried hard not to devour theirs; it had been too long since they had last enjoy such a fancy meal; it was only rice and bread for them this days.

"So, Ruth… what did you say your maids were stealing from you?" one of the guests wanted to know.

"Mostly jewelry," Ruth replied.

"I thought so. You should check the pawnshop. The other day I was walking by and I swear I saw a necklace just like the one Robert gave Rose for her 13 birthday," the same woman said with half a smile in her face. The rest of the guests also smiled; only Molly looked at them with sad eyes. Molly, who they had met on the Titanic, was nothing like the other women. She was the only one who paid no attention to financial status when she met new friends.

Rose almost chocked with the water she was drinking. She herself had taken her necklace to the pawnshop a week ago. Although she had sworn she would never sell that particular piece of jewelry, she had had no chance. She had used the money to buy food.

"I'll be sure to check," Ruth muttered.

Ruth and Rose spent the rest of the night in silence, fearing to be the object of their poison darts again. Finally, the guests started to leave, so the DeWitt Bukaters jumped to their feet.

"I had the best time, Molly. Thank you for inviting us," the eldest told her host meaning only half of it.

Molly let them go without saying a word, but she showed up at their place the following morning.

"What are you doing here?" Ruth asked when she opened the door.

"I'm just checking something. May I come in?" but expecting no answer, she made her way inside. "Just what I thought!" she commented once in the living room.

Rose, who since was a Saturday didn't have to go to work but was working on a dress nonetheless, looked up and sighed in resignation. Molly's gaze wandered around the nearly empty room and the commented:

"Well, at least I know why you don't invite people over."

"This is not what you think, Molly…" Ruth tried to explain, but her friend waved her hand asking for silence and she obeyed.

"It is no secret to anyone that you have financial problems. Cal has been insinuating it ever since he got off that damn ship! At the beginning no one trusted him; we all thought that he was just mad at Rose for canceling the wedding. But you have to understand that it's been eight years and you have done nothing to prove him wrong. People are starting to think that maybe Robert didn't have as much money as you say he had."

"Cal has been spreading the rumor?" Rose repeated. "See, mother, I told you he wasn't trustworthy."

"What happened? And I mean the whole story. Why did you have to sell most of your furniture, why did the engagement ended so abruptly… Everything."

"It's a very long story and I doubt you'll find it interesting…" Ruth assured her.

"Listen, sister, I want to help. But I need to know why I will help you. I have plenty of time, so… shoot!"

The women sat on an old couch that hadn't been sold yet and the host briefly explained her husband's financial situation and what had come after his death.

"Gambling, I suppose?" Molly asked. "Don't worry, you'd be surprise to know how many of our respectable gentlemen throw their money away in bets. Well, that explains why you were so desperate to marry Rose to rich man. What I don't understand is why you let him go –I mean, I was never Cal's fan, but seeing that you needed money so desperately, I'd have thought that you would hold on to him for as long as possible."

"It was my fault," Rose suddenly said. She had listened to her mother's tale in silence while contemplating their front garden. But now she had turned to face Molly. "Cal dumped us because of me."

"You, dear? What makes you say that?"

"Lets just say I didn't behave like a lady should."

"What could you possibly have done to make Cal call of the engagement like that?" Molly asked.

Rose sighed and half a smile appeared on her lips. She rarely thought of the events that had lead to their current situation, but whenever she did, she couldn't help to smile. Despite everything that had come after that, she still felt that Titanic was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.

"I told him I wouldn't marry him. He threatened me, but I did not care. I won't marry unless it's for love and that's it."

"You'd be lucky if you married at all!" Ruth commented. "If everyone knows about us…"

But Molly was not listening to her. She was looking curiously at Rose.

"When you say you're going to marry for love, do you have someone in mind or not yet?"

It took her almost a minute to reply, but then she didn't hesitate.

"No. I haven't met Mr. Right yet."

"Oh. I thought… Never mind."

Rose turned to her and saw she was smiling. Was there something Molly knew and wasn't telling her? But before she could ask, their friend spoke again.

"Okay, I will help you."

"How?" Ruth asked in disbelief. "Unless you have a couple thousand dollars to borrow, I don't see…"

"Better. I'm going to New York for a couple of weeks and I'd love it if you joined me. Who knows, maybe Rose's true love is there. What do you say?"

Again, Rose got the feeling that there was something Molly was not telling her. She'd find out soon enough.


	5. Author's Note

Don't get your hopes up; this is just an author's note. I'm _soooooo_ sorry about taking so long to update this, but although I try and try, my muse seems to have run away. Definitely, continuing stories are not my thing. I was about to delete it, but then I got an e-mail informing me that I won an award for this –I know, I was surprised too—so I decided to give it one last chance. I'm going to keep it posted and hope that someday, while I'm doing something completely unrelated to Titanic and fanfiction, I may find the inspiration I've been lacking for so long and can continue with this. Until then, bare with me.

In case you're wondering, the award I won is Best Prequel/Interstice in the April 2009 Titanic Fan Fiction Contest on Anne's Sory Page (.com/yt/anneblair/). Another of my previous stories –_Never Let Go_—won for Best Sequel in July 2008, so I'm very proud of them both.

Again, I'm so very sorry. I'll do my best to upload as soon as I can. I promise.


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